


The Other Side

by Missy



Category: Laverne & Shirley (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Farm/Ranch, Angst, F/M, Married Life, Pregnancy, Romance, Veterinarians, farm living, injured animals, resolved angst
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-01
Updated: 2021-02-01
Packaged: 2021-03-18 19:28:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 755
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29123439
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Missy/pseuds/Missy
Summary: A Sequel to Amythis' "Why Did The Chicken...?" in which Lenny and Laverne grapple with their insecurities surrounding their impending parenthood and Shirley's interest in medicine resurfaces as she cares for the petting zoo's animals.
Relationships: Andrew "Squiggy" Squiggman/Terry Buttafuco, Anthony DeFazio/Shirley Feeney, Laverne DeFazio/Lenny Kosnowski
Comments: 6
Kudos: 1





	The Other Side

**Author's Note:**

  * For [amythis](https://archiveofourown.org/users/amythis/gifts).



> Read Why Did The Chicken... over [here!](https://archiveofourown.org/works/26856064)

Lenny Kosnowski stirred very slowly from the best dream he’d had in his whole life. Yawning, he stretched, then snaked his arms around the sleeping form of his wife.

His palms stroked her warm skin carefully, half afraid to wake her, and half afraid he’d be rejected. Even after a year, marriage was an adjustment – a good one, and sometimes a scary one. 

His hand lingered over the very subtle swell of Laverne’s abdomen. OK, yeah – very scary. The baby had been very planned, but he had no idea what he was doing, a realization compounded by how badly he’d wanted all of this to happen. Laverne – well, she was the kind of nervous that came up as anger or loud anxiety. With that in mind, Lenny moved toward the sleepy warmth of his wife and curled himself around her body.

She stirred little while later, and nuzzled back into his grip – until she groaned and pulled away from him, grabbing the wastepaper basket just in time.

Automatically, he rubbed her back until it was over, but once she was done he went into panic mode. “Do you want some crackers? Ginger ale? Need me to call the doc?”

“Len, this has been happening every other morning for the past two months.” She groaned. “The doctor said it's normal and to see him again if it gets worse, which it ain't - jus unpredictable. Leave me with the wastepaper basket for a little while and I’ll be fine.”

“It’d be better if it were just the mornings,” he groaned.

“It ain’t my fault the smell of garlic bread makes me sick,” she said.

“And tuna sandwiches, and sometimes cucumbers.” Laverne gagged, and he felt instantly guilty. “I’m sorry.”

She poked his thigh after she regained control of her throat. “Just go get ready for work, eh? I’ll be okay in awhile.”

He nodded, kissed her cheek, not caring that her breath smelled like the morning, like acrid sourness. “Okay, Vernie.” He got out of bed, found his coveralls and shoes and jeans all slung over the back of her dresser chair. Though his stuff lay all around the apartment and her room now, he could still see the shadows where Shirley’s pin-ups had hung on the wall. It felt too girly there sometimes. But the idea came to him abruptly. “Just think – soon we’ll have a baby throwing up on us.”

Laverne gave him a thin smile. “Ugh. Yeah. Can you get your own breakfast?”

“Sure, I’ll grab something on the road.” She sat quietly, watching him dress. He didn't worry about riding in with Squig - she’d probably get a ride in to the brewery with Terry. He kissed her forehead and she leaned into his touch with a sigh.

Lenny barely managed to mask his worry. Something was going on behind those green eyes. And he was going to find out just what it was.

** 

Shirley DeFazio was in the ninth month of her pregnancy which – she had quickly discovered – gave her a cowlike sense of peace and also drove her to accomplish as much as she could do before she was stuck in confinement.

She spent her days helping to run the finances of the petting zoo, when she wasn’t writing poetry or spending time with Antonio. And yet she felt a hunger crawling under her skin – something she couldn’t name. A need for more. It was inexplicable, but sometimes her bliss gave way to her busy, bossy side.

A knock at the back door of the farmhouse set her up straight – it was Doc Pomerantz, who was in to vaccinate the animals and run a pregnancy check on their newly purchased sheep.

“Mrs. DeFazio. Could you lend a hand? One of the kids has a wound that needs to be healed.”

Shirley flew to the door, and then followed him into the well-kept but muddy paddock where the animals lived when they weren’t at the petting zoo.

“I need someone to hold its leg and brace it while I bandage the poor thing.” He pushed up his sleeves and as he did Shirley recognized Clover lying quietly in the mud. The first animal they’d purchased for the zoo, and one of her favorites.

Shirley nodded quickly, getting down on her knees in spite of her belly. She grabbed the goat’s leg. She held on tightly while Doc Pomerantz got to work on Clover, forgetting her dignity, the dirt surrounding her, and even her pregnancy. She had to be there for her goat now.


End file.
